Columbus — For the Independence 76ers boys’ basketball team, the weight of a 40-game losing streak had become an all-too-familiar burden. The previous week, hope flickered as they narrowly fell in back-to-back heartbreakers against Shekinah Christian and West, each decided by just two points. Those close calls, however, seemed to whisper of change—a long-awaited triumph that had eluded them for nearly two years.
On this night, in a quiet gym in Southeast Columbus, the Sixers faced the Briggs Bruins, a conference foe that had defeated them by double digits just a month earlier. But this time, Independence came out firing. Fueled by early contributions from Darren White-Tyler, Oumar Sall, and Abdoulaye Ndongo, the Sixers raced to an 11-1 lead in the opening quarter. It was the kind of start they had been dreaming of—but dreams rarely go unchallenged.
The momentum stalled as Independence hit a scoring drought, going nearly five minutes without a basket. Briggs capitalized, tying the game at 11-all in the second quarter. A timely three-pointer from Oumar Sall at the 7:11 mark briefly restored the lead at 14-11, but the shooting woes returned, and another four scoreless minutes allowed Briggs to edge ahead, 15-14.
With the game slipping, senior Oumar Sall stepped up. His determined drive into the key put Independence back on top, 16-15, igniting a shift in energy. From there, the Sixers found their rhythm, steadily building a 23-17 halftime lead. The half ended on a high note, with Darren White-Tyler converting a basket off a backcourt turnover just before the buzzer. Sall and White-Tyler were the driving forces, combining for 17 points at the break—Sall with 10 and White-Tyler with seven.
Out of the halftime break, Independence came out firing, blowing the game wide open with an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 31-17. The Sixers’ defense clamped down, holding the Bruins scoreless until just 2:32 remained in the third quarter. Fueled by relentless energy, Independence dominated the quarter, outscoring Briggs 18-2 to build a commanding 22-point lead. But as the Sixers had learned all too well in their recent close calls, victory wouldn’t come easily. Despite the cushion and just eight minutes remaining, this contest was far from over.
With a commanding 45-21 lead following a pair of points off turnovers, it seemed the Sixers were cruising to victory. But as if summoned by the ghosts of past close calls, the cold shooting demons returned. Independence’s offense stalled, and Briggs seized the moment, igniting a 10-0 run that slashed the lead to 14 points. Montael Davis finally stopped the bleeding with two clutch free throws at the 4:13 mark in the fourth quarter. From there, it became a battle of grit and determination—holding on to the lead and fending off a surging opponent.
As the clock wound down and the Sixers’ lead shrank to just six points, their struggles at the free-throw line added another layer of tension, making it even harder to seal the deal. But on this night, the Independence 76ers weren’t about to let history repeat itself. Despite the challenges, they held their ground and, with determination, fended off the Bruins to secure a 57-49 victory—ending their 40-game losing streak and starting a new chapter with a winning streak.
It was a true team effort. While Oumar Sall and Darren White-Tyler were quiet offensively in the second half, others stepped up. Montael Davis, Torreon Gordon-Suggs, and Shelton Porter Jr. carried the offensive load when it mattered most. Just as losing is a collective struggle, so too is winning. Without each other, Independence would still be staring down an endless losing streak. But because they believed in one another, battled through adversity, and endured heartbreak, they emerged victorious. In that moment, Independence won their own Super Bowl: breaking a nearly two-year losing streak and doing it together as a team.
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